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Microbiology Specimen Collection and Transport Guide
Eswab (white) and Eswab Mini (Blue) Bacterial
Culture transports
Additive-Free Urine Tube (Supplied separately)
(S. pneumoniae and Legionella antigen)
The ESwab transport is a single collection swab used for
bacterial cultures, including anaerobes, and for fungus
culture swab collections. Use the mini-tip (Blue top) for
Bordetella pertussis PCR and for narrow passages like
Nasopharyngeal and urethral bacterial cultures. Send ASAP,
but specimens are stable for up to 48 hours at refrigerated or
room temperature. Exception: cultures for Neisseria
gonorrhea are stable for 24 hours only at room temperature.
Follow package instructions for use.
Transport: Liquid Amies-D for Strep A DNA,
Strep B DNA, and Rapid Strep Screens
Transport at room temperature after collection.
Routine Blood Culture
Use an Adult or Pediatric Blood Culture Collection Kit for culture of blood
for bacteria and yeast. Transport bottles at room temperature after
collection.
Adults (2-bottle set: one purple and one blue or green): Collect blood
using sterile venipuncture. Inoculate 8-10 mL into the BacT/Alert® Aerobic
bottle, and then inoculate 8-10 mL into the BacT/Alert® Anaerobic bottle. If
collection volume is low, submit using only the Aerobic bottle. The Aerobic
bottle has no minimum volume requirement.
Children (1 yellow bottle): Collect blood using routine venipuncture.
Inoculate up to 4 mL into the BacT/Alert® Pediatric bottle. Only one bottle
is needed. NOTE: Pediatric bottles are not acceptable for adults.
UVT or UTM Culture Media –Rapid Flu A/B, RSV,
HSV PCR, Resp Viral Mini Panel, Viral or
Chlamydia culture
UVT and/or UTM is used for collection of lesions for HSV
PCR, NP collection for Rapid Flu, RSV, Respiratory Viral
Panel, Viral culture and Chlamydia Culture. Collect
specimen using appropriate sampling swab, breaking off
shaft in tube. UVT and UTM is stored at room temperature
prior to sample collection. Transport immediately after
collection. Refrigerate and transport refrigerated if transport
is delayed.
Ova & Parasites (O&P) Transport
The yellow (formalin) Para-Pak® vial is used for transport of stool
specimens for ova and parasite examination. Place stool into each vial up
to, but not higher than, the red fill line.. Also used for Giardia lamblia .
Antigen and Cryptosporidium antigen collection. Transport at room
temperature after collection.
Pinworm Paddle Collection for Pinworm
Transport at room temperature.
Stool Culture Transport
The orange Para-Pak vial containing Cary Blair transport medium is
designed to maintain the viability of enteric pathogens during
transport to the laboratory. Place stool into vial up to, but not higher
than, the red fill line. Transport at room temperature after collection.
Chlamydia and Gonorrhea by TMA Collection
Urine (Yellow Tube): DO NOT clean area before collection: FIRST
STREAM of URINE ONLY. Patient should not have urinated within the
previous hour prior to collection. Collect minimum 2mL up to 30mL in a
sterile cup. Pipette specimen into Yellow Aptima Collection container until
the volume is between two black lines.
Unisex Genital for Male Urethral and Female Endocervical (White tube):
Use white cleaning swab to remove mucus from females and discard.
Collect Male or Female with Blue Swab. Break blue swab off into
collection tube.
DO NOT PUT THE WHITE SWAB INTO THE
COLLECTION TUBE. Transport all specimen types refrigerated or room
temperature.
ATTS Kit for Vaginitis Panel
Used to collect the Vaginitis Panel. Stored at room temperature and the
total time between collection and processing should be no longer than
72 hours.
AFB Blood/Fungal Blood SPS & Isolator Tube
Blood is collected using blood culture site prep and
venipuncture. Call Microbiology for the special collection
tubes. Tube must be filled at least half full, Transport to
laboratory at room temperature ASAP.
Clean or Sterile Container Collections
Sterile Container needed:
AFB Culture
Wound culture
Body fluid
Lower Respiratory Culture
Cath Tip Culture
Gram Stain with slide
Modified Acid Fast Bacilli stain
Clean Container:
Fecal pH
Hair, Nail and Other Fungal Scrapings
Fecal WBC/Leukocyte
C. difficile Toxin DNA
KOH prep
Rotavirus
Parasite/Arthropod
02/2017 Refer to Microbiology procedure SYS.600.092 Transport Swab
N Drive/Microbiology/Transport poster